Mendocino Coast District Hospital Board Members still ignore Community Input

Miller and Bruning still push November 2017 parcel tax!

Editorial by Marianne McGee

While he could not cajole the Mendocino Coast District Hospital (MCDH) Planning Committee into cramming a November 2017 Parcel Tax down the Mendocino Coast Healthcare District (MCHC) voter’s throats, Dr. Kevin Miller tried to do again at their July Board of Directors meeting.

Aided by Board Member Kitty Bruning, a former MCDH Nurse Manager, after serious problems were pointed out with proceeding in such an irresponsible manner were raised by fellow Board Members, MCDH Management Staff, MCDH Consultants and an Outraged Community, Dr. Miller and Ms. Bruning still voted affirmatively for their proposal.

It was an arbitrary 2 tiered proposal, copied directly from other hospitals and did not begin to incorporate community needs for service. Again, after just promising to support it, it targeted the Obstetrics (OB) Department and was absolutely against the advice of their Consultant, who has been advising MCDH on these issues over time.

It appears that both Bruning and Miller are not engaged with their constituents and appear not to understand MCDH operations, budgets or basic leadership and communications skills. Kitty sat on the proposed Obstetrics (OB) for 8 months as the previous Planning Committee Chair and then sat by silently, when she attended the OB meetings, as Dr. Kevin Miller initiated a flawed process designed to sink the services, apparently at the implied direction of staff.

If MCDH Board members Kitty Bruning and Dr. Kevin Miller were not “short timers” on the Mendocino Coast District Hospital Board of Directors, it would be time to start thinking about a recall election. Except taking action like this now will only further endanger the health of this hospital and deflect the desperately needed positive energy, to keep this hospital afloat.

Given all the unresolved negative issues shadowing the MCDH Board and Management, forcing this tax, without community leadership, education and feedback would have quickly sunk this proposal, furthering the local medical crisis.

While it appears that the MCDH leadership and management is working hard to alienate community members, a group convened on August 18 to start the parcel tax process that can only be initiated, financed and conducted by the community, not the MCDH Board of Directors, its Staff or their Foundation. At the same time, those same official MCDH leaders are running contrary to their consultants and to our community.

Watch and read www.mendocinotv.com for the next installment of this saga. You can also view almost all MCDH Board meetings, recent MCDH committee meetings and our editorials on the MCDH issues.